A Christmas Sweet
by Caitlyn1
Summary: **Story Completed** (Yes, I know it's not the holidays anymore, but you know you want to know what happened!) Enjoy!
1. "Hey, Harry, I hear you play Quidditch."

"Every endless night, has a dawning day,  
  
Every darkest sky has a shining ray.."  
  
"Oh, what a shame," murmured Ginny, cupping her hand around a rose bloom encased in ice. "Hagrid forgot to put an anti-freezing charm on his roses."  
  
She had noticed the bush on a walk to inspect the grounds after it's first snowfall of the year. She loved how the castle looked, covered in snow. The turrets and archangels were even more beautiful surrounded by a dreamy white background.  
  
She snapped the bloom off the bush and raised her fist to rap on Hagrid's door. Much to her surprise, the door swung open and her hand smacked into something decidedly not the door.  
  
"Ooof!"  
  
Ginny clamped a hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry!"  
  
She didn't want to look to see who it was.what if it were a Professor? Oh dear, what if she just socked the Headmaster..  
  
She braved a glance upward. It wasn't the Headmaster. It was worse.  
  
Harry staggered backwards, hand covering his nose, where Ginny had obviously just hit him.  
  
'Oh my gosh! I just slugged Harry Potter' Ginny thought incredulously.  
  
"I'm sorry!" Ginny gasped, "I meant to knock on the door and the-."  
  
"Then I got in your way," finished Harry with a groan. "Ever consider a career as a Beater? You hit HARD for a girl."  
  
For a girl, indeed! "I've got six older brothers, what did you expect?" said Ginny snappily. Then she realized she had just smacked him in the face. "Sorry, Harry.. I didn't hit you on purpose."  
  
"What's all this?" Hagrid had stepped into his doorway, staring at the two of them. "You all right there, Harry?"  
  
"Fine," Harry said, he removing his hand and nodded at Hagrid.  
  
Oh no..thought Ginny when she saw the state of his face.  
  
Hagrid gaped at Harry. "Why, you've got a bloodied nose!"  
  
Harry stared at Ginny in amazement. "No wonder Ron's scared of you!"  
  
Hagrid ushered Harry and Ginny into his cabin and promptly set Harry in a chair with a towel to hold on his face. Ginny was bright red with embarrassment.  
  
"I really am sorry," Ginny was bright red, "I hope you're really not angry with me.."  
  
Harry shook his head. "I didn't mean.for a girl," he apologized. "I was surprised.that was all."  
  
Hagrid was being very jolly about the whole affair. "Jus' think, Harry, that twasn't on purpose."  
  
"Oh, Hagrid," said Ginny remembering why she had knocked on his door in the first place, "look at what happened."  
  
She set the rose in Hagrid's enormous hand and he shook his head sadly. "I forgot about tha bush. The blooms on it are ruined.you might as well take 'em. They'll live for a few days in yer dorm if you cut 'em."  
  
"Oh, can I?" Ginny smiled. "Thank you!" She took the rose back from Hagrid. "Where's Ron and Hermione?" she said, realizing that Harry was uncharacteristically by himself.  
  
"Having Christmas a bit early, I expect," said Harry with a grimace.  
  
Ginny cocked her head curiously, then realized what he meant. Ron and Hermione had recently and finally admitted to liking the other and no doubt they were making use of the free time during school holidays. No wonder Harry had made himself scarce, the thought of her brother snogging anyone made Ginny feel ill.  
  
Hagrid chuckled at this. "Ron an' Hermione aren't trying to disinclude ya, they just don't know how to handle everythin yet."  
  
Harry shrugged. "I'll let them figure it out."  
  
Harry touched his nose gingerly and stood up. "I'm going to the library.History of Magic essay." Hagrid took the towel from him and patted his shoulder.  
  
"I really am sorry," apologized Ginny, once again.  
  
Harry smiled briefly. "Hey, don't be so upset. You didn't mean it. Maybe we'll do some beating practice on the field, sometime. I bet you do some real damage with bat."  
  
"I play Chaser," responded Ginny automatically. Oh, shut up, Ginny, she thought, mentally kicking herself. He was joking.  
  
Harry shrugged. "Tryouts.next year."  
  
He waved at Hagrid and slammed the cabin door behind him.  
  
Ginny couldn't help it, her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Hagrid, he's furious at me!"  
  
Hagrid poured her a mug of hot chocolate and shook his head. "There now, don't start crying on me. He's not mad at you. He's upset about Ron an' Hermione, talked 'bout them for a good hour an' a half, just now. Harry's not used to them not being around, and it's not exactly easy being him. He'd probably like ta have you around.to talk to."  
  
Ginny shook her head. "Harry and I don't talk. I'm Ron's little sister, that's it."  
  
Hagrid pushed a bowl of marshmallows towards her. Ginny miserably plopped one into her hot chocolate and popped another into her mouth.  
  
"You don't think you and Harry have got anythin' in common?" asked Hagrid gently.  
  
"No," said Ginny firmly.  
  
"What does Hermoine have in common with Harry, then?"  
  
Ginny swallowed her marshmallow and frowned, trying to think of something. "Well."  
  
"Well, then?" smiled Hagrid.  
  
"She's clever," said Ginny, naming the first thing she could think of, "and so is Harry."  
  
"An' you aren't clever? Why, I heard Professor Flitwick talking on about you the other day.about your perfect summonin' charms."  
  
Ginny blushed and smiled at Hagrid. "I'm a bit clever."  
  
"An' who won the match last week?"  
  
"Gryffindor over Ravenclaw, 220 to 70," she rattled off.  
  
"Ron would know that and he's Harry's friend. In fact, Harry talked a bit about that game to me today."  
  
Ginny grinned. "Everyone likes Quidditch."  
  
"Not Hermione."  
  
Ginny laughed. "Okay."  
  
Hagrid put his hand on his giant tortoise shell knees and leaned toward her. "Know why else Harry'd want to be yer friend?"  
  
Ginny leaned forward. "Why?"  
  
"Yer pretty as a sunrise, Ginny Weasley," smiled Hagrid patting her head.  
  
Ginny burst out laughing and blushed. "Hagrid! That's so nice!"  
  
Hagrid chuckled and filled up her cup with more hot chocolate. "Harry's a good person an' so are you. I don't see the troubles."  
  
"It's not that easy talking to him, Hagrid," Ginny sighed, rolling her eyes.  
  
Hagrid looked at her as if she were mad. Of course, Hagrid wouldn't understand. He never had a problem talking to anyone.  
  
"Harry? He's just a bit shy, tha's all," said Hagrid.  
  
"Harry's not shy!" said Ginny disbelievingly.  
  
"Sure he is, until you get to know him. You know, come to think of it, yer the same way."  
  
Ginny ignored the last comment. "I haven't the slightest idea how to approach him," she put on a high annoying voice, "Harry, you want to talk about Quidditch? I hear you play."  
  
Hagrid smiled. "He might like tha' better than a punch in the nose."  
  
"Oh, Hagrid," groaned Ginny burying her face in her hands.  
  
~*~  
  
Harry sat on the windowsill, finishing his letter to Sirius. He wished Sirius would come to Hogwarts for Christmas.Dumbledore could surely work something out. Maybe if he outwardly asked Sirius for a visit, he might.. Harry ran his quill along the glass, deep in thought. He couldn't ask him to come.that was stupid. It would be his fault if he got caught.  
  
Harry sighed, utterly bored. The new snow looked awfully nice on the grounds. If Ron had been acting normally they might have had a snowball fight this morning.or.wait.that was stupid too. He supposed they had outgrown snowball fights. Harry rolled his eyes. Growing up was highly overrated. Although, the way Ron and Hermione were acting, it didn't seem as though snogging was highly overrated. Harry wrinkled his nose. Ron and Hermione snogging.yech. He was really going to have to get used to that.  
  
He glanced down at his parchment and smiled at his last couple of sentences.  
  
Things have been really dull around here, ever since Ron and Hermione decided to like each other. I never knew that all that fighting would lead up to this! I'm missing their daily fights really, although I expect that should start up again any day now. This might be a record for Ron, who has failed to make Hermione mad in two weeks. (I'm not kidding.) They just smile at each other.scary actually, sort of like watching a Howler about to explode.  
  
Harry didn't want Hermione and Ron to really be angry at one another, but it would be sort of nice and back to normal. He glanced out the window again and sat up.  
  
Ginny had just walked out of Hagrid's cabin. He'd recognize that hair anywhere, just like Ron's except.well.prettier.. It looked like she was getting the roses Hagrid had told her she could have. Harry touched his nose. It was still very tender, but he realized he had been too snappy towards her. She probably really did want to punch him now.  
  
Harry smiled and added more to his letter.  
  
Ginny Weasley punched me in the nose today, as I was walking out of Hagrid's cabin. It was an accident, but it honestly felt like a load of bricks. She'd make a good Beater, but I don't think I'm going to argue with her when she says she plays Chaser. Fred and George are here for the holidays too, but they haven't been around the castle much since Mr. Zonko, from Hogsmeade, offered to let them work for him during the holidays. They're happier about it than anything.. They're usually too tired after working all day to play jokes on us, but I have a feeling we're all going to have to be especially wary of our Christmas presents this year. So, really, there isn't much to do around here, since most of the students have all gone home for the holidays.  
  
Well, I think I'm going to finish up some History of Magic research in the library. Hope you and Buckbeak are safe and well, write soon.  
  
Harry  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
Harry collected his things moodily and made his way down the staircase; he really didn't want to go read about goblins.  
  
Ginny held her wand over the edge of the vase. "Aquaes," she said, watching the vase fill with water. Ginny flicked the excess water off the end of her wand and pocketed it again. She frowned, moved a bloom toward her and studied her arrangement. There, that should do it. She pushed the vase to the center of the common room table and stepped back to admire her work.  
  
Ginny swung around when she heard footsteps on the dormitory stairs; she had thought she had been alone in the tower. Then Harry bounded into view, arms full with parchment and books.  
  
Harry was startled to find Ginny had already returned to the commong room. He was so startled in fact, that when the red curls swung around to face him, he couldn't think of anything more to do than to hurry on out of the common room. He knew it was rude, but he didn't know what to say to her..  
  
Ginny watched him rush toward the portrait and felt a twinge of guilt. He was pretty sore at her for hitting him in the face. How did she get into these messes? Ginny sighed, of course he'd rather go study than talk to her.  
  
Then her conversation with Hagrid echoed in her head.  
  
"Harry's not used to them not being around, and it's not exactly easy being him. He'd probably like ta have you around.to talk to."  
  
"Harry and I don't talk. I'm Ron's little sister, that's it."  
  
Ginny frowned. That wasn't it. She wasn't going to hold for that. She wasn't just Ron's little sister. If Harry could be best chums with an idiot like her brother, they could at least have one conversation. She nearly stomped her foot in angry determination.  
  
Harry had just reached the handle of the portrait when Ginny built up her resolve to say something. Anything. She didn't care.  
  
"Hey, Harry, I hear you play Quidditch," Ginny blurted.  
  
Oh dear God.  
  
Harry halted. What a curious thing to say.  
  
He smiled funnily, "You heard I play?"  
  
"Are you any good?" she asked.  
  
Harry was at a loss of words. He looked at the vase of roses on the table as she swept the trimmings into her hands and tossed them into the fire.  
  
"Those are very pretty," he said, stepping nearer.  
  
"I like them," said Ginny, gathering the last of the leaves and petals, "I thought they'd be nicer in the common room so everyone can enjo-oooh ouch!" Ginny dropped her handful of petals and winced, looking down at her finger. Harry saw a bright bead of blood bubble up.  
  
His History of Magic book slipped from his hands and skittered across the floor. Harry ignored it and set his parchments down also, pulling a handkerchief from inside his robes.  
  
"Put this on it," he said, handing it to her.  
  
Ginny hesitated.  
  
"It's clean," added Harry as an afterthought.  
  
"I know," she said with a small smile, "but I don't want to ruin it by bleeding on it."  
  
"Take it before you bleed on your robes," he said, shaking it at her.  
  
"Of course Hagrid has the roses with the wicked thorns. I had been so careful, then right at the end, sliced my finger.." Her brown eyes looked more amused than hurt.  
  
"Let's hope he doesn't chat with Professor Sprout about getting a rosebush that bites," nodded Harry.  
  
"Muggles don't know what they're missing," said Ginny sarcastically.  
  
Harry laughed and cleared the rest of the trimmings up for her. "No one ever tells them that pixie dust causes a rash," he grinned.  
  
"Or that anti aging potion tastes like it was drained through a sock."  
  
"Or that we literally do mean.eye of newt.wing of bat."  
  
Ginny sat down in a chair and giggled. "Are you as bored as I am?"  
  
"About to climb the walls with cabin fever," said Harry, happily sitting down across from her.  
  
"Then I say we find something to do," she said cheerfully.  
  
"Only if you don't punch me."  
  
~*~  
  
"Do you play chess?" Harry asked her.  
  
"No, Ron is the only one who does that. Drives the rest of us nuts. If you've been able to put up with that for five years, you should really be given an award or something," Ginny said, feeling surprisingly comfortable around Harry.  
  
Harry smiled sheepishly. "I lose every game."  
  
"Bill got so tired of Ron beating him one day, that he charmed all of Ron's chess pieces to only accept commands in Gobbledegook. Ron was hopping mad.."  
  
Harry laughed. "What do you play then?"  
  
"I say we go to supper," said Ginny smiling.  
  
"Mind games," said Harry grinning mischievously, "you play mind games."  
  
~*~  
  
" An' she punched 'em, right in the nose!" roared Hagrid, wiping a tear from his eye as he clunked his mead down on the table.  
  
Professors McGonagall, Sprout, and Dumbledore laughed appreciatively.  
  
"Ah, that explains it," said McGonagall with a rare smile, "I thought I had been seeing things when I saw Harry having dinner with the wrong Weasley."  
  
"Ginny's jus' the ticket to get him out of that slump he's been in this holiday," smiled Hagrid, "I think she's a right good influence on him."  
  
McGonagall cleared her throat. "Miss Weasley is certainly a good friend, but I'm afraid she and Harry share the same mischievous influences. I certainly hope they can occupy themselves to tasks of the non destructive nature."  
  
Dumbledore raised a silver eyebrow over his spectacles. "As Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger have?"  
  
Professor Sprout hooted into her drink glass.  
  
Professor McGonagall pursed her lips. "That is most certainly not what I meant, of course."  
  
Dumbledore chuckled, "Come now, Minerva, it isn't doing them any harm. It wasn't as if any of us didn't see it coming. Let them have their holiday."  
  
"Hermione Granger is a respectable young lady," said McGonagall defensively. "I know she is behaving appropriately."  
  
Professor Sprout nodded solemnly. "Minerva's right, Hermione and Ron are good kids, they aren't doing any harm." She glanced at McGonagall's face and her face twitched.  
  
"Oh, do stop looking like the cat that ate the canary and tell us," said McGonagall, who was obviously not enthused that she had the most responsibility this holiday, with by far the most students staying behind.  
  
"My garden gnomes," she paused," the helpful little ones that pull weeds for me now and again, in exchange for food. They ran up to me this afternoon absolutely bursting at the seams to tell me about the two students in Greenhouse one."  
  
"And," remarked McGonagall dryly.  
  
"Well, they didn't have much of interest to say, they were just overly excited about the prospect that I'd be furious at a pair of my students. They were quite disappointed when I told them to go pull some weeds. So, yes, apparently your students are behaving themselves."  
  
Hagrid nodded. "You've got a good lot of kids staying behind, Professor. I wouldn't worry a wink about them."  
  
"I see they've got you fooled," smiled Professor McGonagall.  
  
"To the Holidays," interrupted Dumbledore, raising his glass of hot chocolate.  
  
~*~  
  
"Snape doesn't sleep," laughed Ginny.  
  
"He has to sleep," insisted Harry.  
  
"Well, it isn't beauty sleep, that's for sure."  
  
Harry snorted and added a card on top of the card castle they were making in front of the fireplace. "I've never seen any of the Professor's bedrooms."  
  
"I wouldn't want to see Snape's under any circumstances," said Ginny picking up a card from the deck. Her hand wavered over a spot towards the top.  
  
"Bad move," said Harry.  
  
"No it isn't," said Ginny, "nothing would happen."  
  
"The deck would blow up in your face," pointed out Harry, "try to the left."  
  
"No, it wouldn't blow up," insisted Ginny.  
  
"Suit yourself," said Harry taking a handful of popcorn.  
  
"I will," said Ginny setting the card into place.  
  
Harry made an exaggerated face like the castle was going to explode right then..  
  
Ginny looked at him smugly. "You're a terrible bluffer."  
  
"I like my eyebrows NOT on fire, thank you."  
  
"Your move, Harry."  
  
Harry plucked the topmost card off the deck and confidently placed it where he had told Ginny to place her card.  
  
He turned back to her, with an equally smug expression. "Did it blow up?"  
  
"No," smiled Ginny, "your point?"  
  
"My point is I wasn't trying to get you to make a bad move."  
  
"Your move was less points," said Ginny. "Nice try."  
  
"Well, Ron falls for it."  
  
"I'm not Ron, now am I?" said Ginny cheerily placing a card onto the castle.  
  
Harry smiled. "No, you aren't Ron."  
  
"There. That puts me at a twenty point lead." Ginny said raising an auburn eyebrow that Harry noted was definitely not on fire.  
  
Harry's smile faded as he surveyed her work. "Well, you're no fun at all, for starters."  
  
"Not when I'm winning, right?"  
  
Harry was still smiling inwardly; he was having quite a bit of fun with Ginny. He hadn't realized that Ron's little sister was so entertaining. He supposed she had gotten over that crush she had on him a few years back. Harry found himself wishing that he had talked to her before this. Chalk that up onto the board of stupid things he had done.  
  
"Easy move," he said setting a card down.  
  
POOF!  
  
Ginny waved the smoke away from her, in peals of laughter.  
  
Harry coughed and turned to glare at her, but failed, in that he couldn't help laughing.  
  
"Your eyebrows aren't on fire," said Ginny helpfully, "you backed away just in time."  
  
"Shut up!" he laughed.  
  
"Ron falls for that one all the t-."  
  
"Don't say it!"  
  
While Ginny was laughing, Harry promptly put up the cards.  
  
"I'll be right back," he said picking himself up off the rug.  
  
"Your eyebrows look fine," teased Ginny.  
  
Hagrid had been right. She was having lots of fun with Harry. He made a far better friend than just a silly crush. Although, she wished she hadn't waited until her fourth year to really talk to him. That was stupid move.  
  
Harry jogged down the stairs and smiled at her. "I've got a better idea than Exploding Snap."  
  
Ginny tried to make an unconvincing face. "Well if it's anything like your Exploding Snap tactics, I don't think I should get within five-."  
  
Harry rolled his impermeable green eyes at her. "Are you in or are you out, Ginny?"  
  
He stood up and shook out a mass of silvery material in front of her.  
  
His invisibility cloak.  
  
"Start talking," said Ginny without hesitation.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Disclaimer: Heard the lines at the beginning on the radio a few days before I started writing this fic! Who would of thought I would have used Ricky Martin for an H/G Christmas fic? **grins** The lines are from Private Emotion, by Mr. Ricky Martin, wherever he is now.. Harry and Ginny and all those other awesome HP characters belong to Ms. J.K. Rowling. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of Christmas fun.. 


	2. "You're sort of weird, did you know that...

"Am I dreaming or stupid?  
  
But boy, have I been hit by you babe,  
  
but no one needs to know right now."  
  
~*~  
  
"But, why?" asked Ginny.  
  
"It's better than sitting around in the common room isn't it?"  
  
"That depends on how much you like detention."  
  
"We won't get caught," insisted Harry.  
  
Ginny crossed her arms. "I am a little curious."  
  
"We'll just take a quick look around and then get out of there."  
  
"And I don't really have a better idea.."  
  
"We'll just follow one of the Professors in.."  
  
"Ron would be furious that I got to see," said Ginny thoughtfully.  
  
"And just creep back on out.."  
  
"Not to mention Fred and George.."  
  
"They'd be dying to know," enticed Harry.  
  
Ginny grinned and pushed a stray curl out off of her forehead. "Okay."  
  
Harry jumped to his feet. "Great! Let's go!"  
  
~*~  
  
Ginny took Harry's outstretched hand and he pulled her up off the common room rug. Her palm felt unusually warm and her stomach gave a funny kick when he picked up the invisibility cloak. They were both going to go under that.  
  
Of course, Ginny reminded herself when Harry pulled the cloak over them that, Hermione and Ron had done the same thing with him loads of times. but Ginny doubted Hermione or Ron had blushed when Harry had accidentally brushed up against them.  
  
"Ready?" Harry asked.  
  
"Let's go," said Ginny.  
  
~*~  
  
Harry figured he should have worn something lighter than a sweater as they walked down another corridor. He had never remembered the invisibility cloak being so warm. Why were his hands freezing cold and bead of sweat had just run down his forehead.  
  
They paused before turning a corner and Ginny's eyes met his, waiting for him to start walking first. Harry nodded and they made their way down another corridor. Now this was ridiculous, his face felt like it was on fire.  
  
"Stop," panted Harry. He motioned to a nook in the wall with a suit of armor standing in it. There was enough room for them to slip alongside and remain hidden  
  
Harry pulled the cloak off and leaned his forehead against the cool metal of the armor.  
  
"Are you all right?" said Ginny, appearing as she pulled the cloak off herself.  
  
"I'm roasting," said Harry, "this sweater must be too heavy."  
  
"Take it off then," said Ginny automatically. She clamped her mouth shut as soon as she had said it. "Er. Minding that you have a shirt underneath," she added hastily.  
  
"I'd have to haul it around," said Harry, " and it'd just get in the way. Give me a second."  
  
Harry sat against the armor, his knees pressing against the wall he closed his eyes as Ginny sat down beside him, looking concerned.  
  
"Harry," she said after a moment, "just take it off."  
  
Harry opened one eye. "I said I didn't want to haul it around."  
  
"I don't want to haul you around after you collapse from heat exhaustion," retorted Ginny.  
  
He sighed and pulled the emerald green sweater off and crumpled it under his arm.  
  
"Better?" asked Ginny.  
  
Harry shrugged and stood up.  
  
Ginny held out her hands. "Give it."  
  
"Give what?"  
  
"Your sweater, of course!"  
  
Harry stared at her blankly. "Why?"  
  
"I'll carry it, you dummy."  
  
"Oh no, it's all sweaty, Ginny, you really don't have to," he said.  
  
"I have six older brothers.."  
  
Harry noticed the sweater wasn't damp. Then why was his face so flushed in the face?!  
  
Ginny raised an eyebrow and took the sweater. "You're sort of weird, did you know that?"  
  
Harry watched her tie it around her waist. Now why hadn't he thought of that?  
  
"I'm not weird!" he protested.  
  
Ginny straightened the sweater and Harry noted that the back of it ended right at the hemline of her skirt. He nearly hit his head on the suit of armor when he caught himself looking and frantically fumbled for the invisibility cloak. No, taking the sweater off had not cooled him off. What was going on?  
  
"Careful." Ginny winced when he narrowly missed the armor. "Are you sure you're okay?"  
  
"Yeah, thanks."  
  
~*~  
  
"Why is it when we're looking for a teacher that they are never around?" whispered Ginny, taking special care that her shoes didn't make any noise on the stairs.  
  
Harry laughed softly and kept an even pace with her so that they didn't go tumbling headfirst. Stairs were a pain in invisibility cloaks.  
  
"Maybe they're partying," added Ginny, "we've been looking for ages."  
  
Suddenly Harry tugged on the sleeve of her shirt.  
  
"Flitwick," he mouthed.  
  
They stood absolutely still listening and heard very faint, yet familiar humming. Goodness, thought Ginny, Harry must have amazing hearing or something.  
  
Sure enough, Professor Flitwick appeared around the top bend of the staircase, where they had started. He ambled down the steps, humming Christmas carols and singing snippets here and there.  
  
"Boughs of holly, fa la la la la la, hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm!"  
  
Harry and Ginny slowly moved against the wall and waited for him to pass before they stealthily followed his tracks.  
  
"Hmmm hmmm hmmm, whoops!"  
  
Flitwick's violet hat toppled off his head and fell on the step behind him. Harry and Ginny nearly trod on it before Ginny threw out her arm to stop Harry.  
  
"You never fit right, do you?" commented Flitwick to his hat as he brushed it off and placed it back on his head. "Hmmm, hmmm, hmmmm!"  
  
When they reached the landing, Flitwick even added a cheerful hop off the last step to a final, "La!"  
  
Ginny bit her tongue to stop the giggle that was rising within her. Harry glanced at her warily, and Ginny couldn't stop the small squeak that escaped her.  
  
Flitwick turned, squinted and smiled. "Behave, Peeves, my friend! I know you are invisible! You can't get one past Fillius Flitwick!"  
  
Harry and Ginny both sighed with relief when Flitwick resumed his happy trot to wherever he was leading them.  
  
~*~  
  
"Twenty-five minutes to go down to the kitchens?!" groaned Harry. "What does he need to take the scenic route for? He works here!"  
  
"Maybe he was checking for students out of bed," smiled Ginny, "making the rounds."  
  
"He did a terrible job then," said Harry, lowering his voice as they exited the House Elf passageway.  
  
"If he did a better job then we'd be back up in Gryffindor Tower," hissed Ginny.  
  
"Good point."  
  
They turned the corner and froze on the spot. Snape had come out of the library, and was walking towards their corridor. Harry pulled Ginny with him back around the corner.  
  
"Perfect!" Harry whispered. "He's going to go back to his room for a bit of reading."  
  
"It's Snape," sighed Ginny. "Of all the Professors we had to run into next.."  
  
"Shhhh," said Harry creeping around the corner again.  
  
They followed Snape at a much greater distance than they had followed Flitwick and it was slightly more difficult to be completely silent, Snape was keeping up a brisk pace.  
  
Ginny shuddered, Snape never failed to give her the heebie-jeebies.  
  
Finally, Snape slowed his pace slightly and removed the book he had been carrying under his arm. The pages rifled softly as Snape thumbed through them.  
  
Snape's shoes made no noise on the stone floor, so both Harry and Ginny twitched when Snape cleared his throat.  
  
He's going to recite, thought Ginny.  
  
"It was the beating of the old man's heart." Snape had begun talking in merely a whisper but Ginny and Harry could hear every word perfectly.  
  
"It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage."  
  
Ginny's blood ran cold. She looked fearfully at Harry, who swallowed, looking quite nervous as well.  
  
"But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed."  
  
Ginny herself was scarcely breathing now.  
  
"Meantime, the hellish tattoo of the heart increased."  
  
Harry sucked in his breath and glanced behind him. Ginny knew he wanted to turn around and go back up to Gryffindor Tower as much as she did. Could Snape hear them? Her own heart was beating very loudly now..  
  
"It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant."  
  
Ginny motioned frantically for Harry to stop and gestured behind them. Please, Harry, she thought, please, let's just go. Blessedly, Harry seemed to be as nervous about this as she was and nodded at her.  
  
"Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still."  
  
Harry shook his head vigorously. They had no intention of standing still anywhere near Snape, tonight. Harry began walking very quickly but.his shoelace must have been undone because Ginny suddenly felt him trip, and his shoes stamped loudly on the floor as he fought to remain standing.  
  
Ginny gasped and grabbed his arm, looking back at Snape, who had swung around immediately and scanned the hall.  
  
"Show yourself!"  
  
Harry had a hold on Ginny's arm also and he was breathing very hard.  
  
"Accio, invisibility cloak!" spat Snape.  
  
An icy wind flew over them, ripping the invisibility cloak from their bodies. Ginny felt a lurch of terror as Snape stared them down, and a smile.a horrible smile began to draw across his face.  
  
"Well, well, well," said Snape in a voice that was coated with ice, "we are in trouble, aren't we?"  
  
"We were abo--," began Harry.  
  
"Shut up, Potter," said Snape crumpling the cloak in his hand. "It's all too obvious you and Miss Weasley were not only lurking about after hours, but with disgusting intentions no doubt."  
  
"Disgusting?" said Ginny incredously. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Watch your tone," growled Snape. "You know exactly what I mean. Obligation of Potter's girlfriend, it looks like."  
  
Realization dawned on both Harry and Ginny.  
  
"We're not a couple!" shouted Harry.  
  
"Oh really?" said Snape raising an eyebrow. "What about that delightful ornament around Miss Weasley's waist? That looks exactly like your sweater, Potter."  
  
"He was overheated!" said Ginny angrily.  
  
"Indeed," said Snape looking at her with disgust. "Might I suggest a cold shower?"  
  
"It's not what it looks like!" Harry growled.  
  
"Then perhaps after you and Miss Weasley kindly untangle your arms, you can explain."  
  
Harry and Ginny hadn't noticed they were still gripping each others arm in their fear.  
  
"A nice round 100 points from Gryffindor should cool you two off, and perhaps a detention to spend some more time together.."  
  
~*~  
  
"Where have you been?" shouted Ron as Harry and Ginny climbed through the portrait hole.  
  
"Why are you yelling?" asked Ginny narrowing her eyes at him, "Where were you all day?"  
  
Harry looked over to the couch where Fred and George were sitting with a snuffling Hermonie. They looked mutinous also.  
  
"We didn't know where you were!" Ron shouted, "We didn't know if you went off the school grounds and got yourself killed.."  
  
"We're not dead," said Harry feeling his face heat up again. Did Ron honestly think he forgot about the war going on? The scar on his forehead just might as well be a giant target.. Sure Ron could yell about being worried, but he still had his freedom to go to the village. Harry had to get permission that would more than likely not be granted.  
  
"We were FIVE minutes from going to go get Dumbledore!" shouted Ron, "Where were you?"  
  
"How about we leave a note next time," said Ginny dryly, "like you did."  
  
"I didn't have to leave a note, because Hermione and I got back to Gryffindor Tower well before we were supposed to!" retorted Ron.  
  
"Don't cry, Hermione," said Harry, "please don't cry."  
  
"She thought you both were DEAD, of course she's going to cry!" howled Ron.  
  
"Shut up, Ron," said Fred, "they're back."  
  
Hermione wiped her eyes. "Oh, Harry, I wish you would have told us you were going out with the cloak tonight. I thought it was all my fault that you got hurt, since Ron and I weren't around."  
  
"Where were you?" asked Harry.  
  
"We got permission from Professor McGonagall this morning to go to Hogsmeade do our Christmas shopping. For you, and for Ginny!" Ron pointed his finger at Harry accusingly, as if it were Harry's fault Christmas was coming.  
  
"Ron, shut it, they're back. Harry really didn't do anything wrong," said George. He patted Hermione on the back.  
  
"Put your finger down, you moron," said Fred, "you look just like mum."  
  
"We've already got detention, Ron, so you don't have to lecture us. Honestly, you sound like McGonagall," said Ginny.  
  
"Why do you have detention?" said Ron wheeling around to face her. "Who gave you detention?"  
  
"Ron!" exclaimed Fred in horrific realization. "You are Mum."  
  
Harry was now picturing Ron in a flowery apron knitting by fire, muttering to himself and waiting for them to return to Gryffindor Tower.  
  
"Someone has to keep an eye on Ginny!" shouted Ron.  
  
"Harry's got eyes," offered George.  
  
"Snape gave us detention," said Ginny rolling her eyes. "I'm not going to stand here and listen to you patronize us anymore. We'll leave an ickle little note on your pillow next time. I'm going to bed."  
  
"So am I," said Hermione with a sigh. "Goodnight."  
  
~*~  
  
Ginny had just begun to plot to leave something really rude on her brother's pillow when someone knocked softly at her door.  
  
"Come in," she said, moodily combing her hair.  
  
Hermione, already in her pajamas, meekly entered the room.  
  
"I'm sorry Ron yelled at you," she said. "He was just really worried."  
  
Ginny smiled at Hermione's gesture. "Thanks, Hermione, but I don't think that's the first time Ron's ever yelled at me, seeing how I'm his little sister and all."  
  
"Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure," said Ginny.  
  
Hermione sat cross-legged on the edge of Ginny's bed looking quite worried. "You and Harry," began Hermione.  
  
"What about Harry and myself?" said Ginny frowning.  
  
"It seems a bit fast," said Hermione in a rush.  
  
"I'm sorry?"  
  
"I don't want anyone to get hurt."  
  
"We weren't going to hurt anyone," said Ginny defensively, "we wanted to see where the Professors lived."  
  
Hermione stared at her for a moment. "But.."  
  
"No harm in it," said Ginny, "we just got caught."  
  
"But.."  
  
"But what, Hermione?" sighed Ginny.  
  
Hermione pointed to Ginny's waist. Ginny looked down.  
  
"This dratted sweater!" howled Ginny clawing at it. "It doesn't mean ANYTHING!"  
  
"But.it's Harry's."  
  
"I know it's Harry's! I was holding it for him! That is all, I promise. Harry and I are FRIENDS. Do you honestly think we'd start talking and then go traipsing off to go snog?!"  
  
Hermione leaned over and plucked Harry's sweater from the ground. She folded it and handed it back to Ginny with a blush.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ginny, I jumped to conclusions."  
  
"Better you see it first than Ron noticing," grumbled Ginny. "He'd really jump to conclusions."  
  
"You have detention?"  
  
Ginny nodded glumly. "All day, I'm sure. Did you and Ron have fun at Hogsmeade?"  
  
Hermione smiled. "Yes, we're going back tomorrow too. We were going to go see if Professor McGonagall would let Harry go with us, but now that's he's got detention.. We still have more shopping to do. I guess you and I can go another day."  
  
"That'd be really fun," said Ginny. "I wish my friends were still here to go shopping with me."  
  
"So you and Harry spent the day together?"  
  
"It was fun," smiled Ginny, "except this last bit, but Ron will get over it."  
  
Hermione looked relieved. "I don't know how he feels about Ron and I."  
  
Ginny shrugged. "He didn't say much."  
  
"Oh, I doubt he'll say much about it anyway," said Hermione.  
  
"He's a great friend," said Ginny, "I wish I'd talked to him sooner. Rather than that silly crush.."  
  
Hermione shook her head. "Harry'll probably act like that never happened."  
  
~*~  
  
"Did you and Hermione have fun at Hogsmeade?"  
  
Ron grinned. "Yeah, we wanted you to come with us, but when we asked McGonagall she said that she'd have to talk to Dumbledore about that. She flatly told us that you couldn't come with us today.the hag."  
  
"Well, Ginny and I had fun, played cards and things."  
  
"She's not bad for a little sister sometimes," yawned Ron. "At least you weren't bored completely out of your mind."  
  
"Not at all," said Harry.  
  
"Hermione's great," said Ron smiling funnily as he pulled his covers up.  
  
"You could have noticed that last year," muttered Harry. "You goof."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I didn't say anything," said Harry taking off his glasses.  
  
"Night, Harry."  
  
"Night."  
  
Harry closed his eyes and sighed deeply. No, Ginny wasn't bad at all. An image of her laughing at him floated into his mind and Harry smiled, drifting off to sleep.  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: The song at the beginning of the chapter is "No one needs to know right now" by Shania Twain. The passage that Snape was reading out of his library book was from "The Tell Tale Heart" by Mr. Edgar Allen Poe, the king of creepiness. Ginny's line about Harry being weird was inspired by the HP movie. All the Harry Potter characters belong to Ms. J.K. Rowling. 


	3. "Quit being noble, it's irritating."

"I'm getting nothing for Christmas,  
  
Mommy and Daddy are mad..  
  
I'm getting nothing for Christmas,  
  
'Cause I've been nothing but bad."  
  
Harry dunked his scrub brush in the soapy water, sloshed it onto the stairs and began to scrub moodily.  
  
"Snape's a-," he began, looking sidelong at Ginny who was scrubbing also.  
  
Ginny stopped for a moment and faced him, her brown eyes were narrowed slightly, rather like a tiger poised to attack, and Harry got the impression that this was not a topic she wished to discuss. Harry shut up and went back to his stair. Ginny was probably royally ticked off at him since it was really his fault they were doing this.  
  
Ginny's ponytail bobbed as she vigorously scrubbed the stairs. Harry had to hand it to her, she was taking this more seriously than he had ever intended to. Snape's detention was probably the worst one Harry had had yet. He had told them to scrub each and every staircase in Hogwarts. Harry and Ginny had only finished about a dozen and half staircases and Harry's back was already starting to hurt. He was sure Ginny had to be tired also, but she didn't show any signs of being fatigued, just annoyed. They weren't even close to being a quarter done --each staircase had, at the very least, thirty steps.  
  
They cleaned in silence for another half hour until Ginny finally spoke up.  
  
"There's no way we can get all of it finished in one day. We'll be doing this for the entire week!"  
  
"I'm really sorry I got us into this," Harry apologized, "I mean, it was my idea. I'll go talk to Snape later and tell him it was my fault. He's really just doing this to see me miserable."  
  
"You will not," snapped Ginny. Harry shut his mouth again, startled. "I was the one that agreed to go with you. Stop trying to be noble, it's irritating." She picked up her scrub brush and started attacking the stairs again.  
  
"I wasn't," Harry turned her words over in his mind for a second, "being noble."  
  
Ginny smiled slightly at the stairs as she cleaned. "You don't even realize you do it."  
  
"I'll, um, try to stop." Harry bent closer to the stair he was cleaning and puzzled over her comment.  
  
"I can clean a couple of stairs," scoffed Ginny, "I'm not made of porcelain, for heavens sake."  
  
"A couple?" echoed Harry.  
  
"Harry," sighed Ginny, "I have been plotting Snape's demise this entire time, trying to make this at the very least a bit constructive. If you're going to ruin my train of thought.."  
  
"You're not mad at me then?" asked Harry, brightening considerably.  
  
"No," said Ginny sounding surprised, "Why on earth would I be mad at you?"  
  
"Um."  
  
Ginny's laughter echoed in the staircase. Harry was quite glad to hear it. "You," she laughed shaking her head at him, "have been hanging around my brothers too long."  
  
~*~  
  
"Six hundred," said Ginny, stretching her arms. She pushed the finer pieces of her hair, too short to go into her ponytail, behind her ears.  
  
"What?" asked Harry.  
  
"This is the six hundredth stair we've cleaned," she said with a yawn.  
  
"You've been counting?!" gaped Harry, staring at her.  
  
"Among other things," said Ginny lightly, "like plotting Snape's de-"  
  
"We've really cleaned six hundred," Harry said incredulously.  
  
"Look out the window, Harry, it's dark. We've been doing this since after breakfast, of course we've done six hundred."  
  
Harry swung around to look out the window, not believing her. Sure enough, it was dark outside. "It's supper time," he said automatically. "They can't just not feed us. That's going way too far."  
  
Ginny shrugged. "And what did you have for lunch today, Mr. Potter?" she said pointedly.  
  
"Nothing," said Harry moodily realizing this.  
  
"Great," muttered Ginny looking upwards.  
  
"Why is that great?" said Harry furrowing his brow.  
  
"Peeves," responded Ginny quietly, "above your head."  
  
Harry looked upwards and sure enough Peeves was floating above them, looking delighted.  
  
"Go away," said Harry flatly. "I'll hex you."  
  
"Scrubby, scrubby, my naughty naughties!" sang Peeves happily.  
  
"I'm not kidding," warned Harry.  
  
"No magic in the corridors," reminded Peeves with an evil grin. He floated just above a banister pretending to walk along it, humming loudly.  
  
Harry grit his teeth and resisted the urge to do anything that would surely land him another detention.  
  
"You knoooow," said Peeves gliding down the banister to their level, "it would be a shame if all these stairs got dirty again. Professor Snape would be furio-uuuuuus."  
  
"Don't you-," began Harry hotly.  
  
"Especially if they got dirty with a jar of pickled sheep brain from his classroom."  
  
"Dare," finished Ginny.  
  
Peeves delicately balanced a large glass canister on his finger. Harry felt his stomach lurch, Peeves wasn't kidding. Peeves began humming a circus tune and tossing the canister and catching it.  
  
"Peeves," said Harry desperately, "really, that isn't fair."  
  
"Please, don't," Ginny said hurriedly.  
  
Peeves was now tossing the canister very high and doing a back flip before he caught it again.  
  
"Summon it," whispered Ginny, nervously.  
  
"No magic in the.."  
  
"Do you really want to pick up sheep's brain?" hissed Ginny.  
  
Harry took her point and fumbled for his wand.  
  
"Whooooopsies!" shouted Peeves suddenly.  
  
CRASH!  
  
Harry felt pickled sheeps brain juice splatter on his face.  
  
Ginny shrieked with fury and immediately leapt to her feet, screaming at Peeves.  
  
Peeves dodged the scrub brush she flung at him along with a few choice profanities that Harry thought were very well worded for a girl.. Before he could hex Peeves, he had disappeared through the ceiling.  
  
"Excuse me," said Ginny sharply, sitting on a step. She wrinkled her nose at the rising smell of formaldehyde and bits of sheep brain now oozing down the stair banister.  
  
"No.problem," said Harry slowly, "I didn't know girls could.insult like that."  
  
"I live with-," sighed Ginny.  
  
"Six older brothers," nodded Harry.  
  
"Sometimes I have a little bit of a temper.. It rarely happens that it gets the better of me. Ron's got the worst temper, really."  
  
A piece of sheep brain plopped next to Harry's foot. "Yes.well."  
  
~*~  
  
"Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley," said McGonagall appearing at the top of the staircase, a good hour later.  
  
Harry looked up and stopped scrubbing. Ginny leaned back on her heels and gazed at McGonagall hopefully.  
  
"That will be quite enough," said McGonagall.  
  
"We'll have to work tomorrow too," said Harry sorely, tossing his brush into the bucket.  
  
Much to their surprise, McGonagall shook her head. "I spoke with Professor Snape just now, after I learned how he punished you. As your head of house, I feel that one day of detention is quite enough."  
  
Ginny smiled slowly. "Really, Professor.all the staircases are a lot.."  
  
"It's not for you to question how Professor Snape punishes his students," said Professor McGonagall firmly, "but you are in my house, and Professor Snape will consult me from now on."  
  
"Thanks, Professor," said Harry getting to his feet.  
  
"Go down to supper," said McGonagall. She sniffed the air as Harry walked by and frowned. "Might I also recommend a bath, you smell like.. preservative, Mr. Potter."  
  
~*~  
  
"Katie Bell's an excellent captain, but she's got it easy, compared to what the captain'll have to do next year."  
  
"What are you calling easy?" asked Ginny as she spooned some more shepherd's pie on her plate.  
  
Harry took a drink of pumpkin juice and continued talking enthusiastically. "Well, we only needed a new Keeper this year. Everyone else on the team has worked together for at the very least, four years, we know each others styles. It shouldn't be hard to win the cup this year. But, next year we're getting two Beaters and three new Chasers, that's more than half the team! Whoever gets captain will really have to train the new players."  
  
"You're going to make captain," said Ginny spearing a carrot, "there's no question of that."  
  
Harry shook his head. "It really depends on if there are really talented new players or not. Plus, Ron's got a shot too."  
  
"Ron's been on the team for a year. You're the youngest Seeker in a century."  
  
"Being a good Seeker has nothing to do with becoming a Quidditch captain. It's all about strategy, which Ron is very good at."  
  
"Chess strategy," corrected Ginny, "Ron's Quidditch strategies are a little more shaky than you think. Charlie can outsmart him on a field quicker than Ron can think to open his mouth to protest."  
  
"Charlie must be fantastic then," said Harry, "because I've seen some of Ron's strategies on paper."  
  
"Exactly my point," smiled Ginny.  
  
"I'm sorry?"  
  
"They look wonderful on paper, but when you put them on the field they fall to pieces. Ron doesn't factor things in that are unexpected. He writes them like his chess strategies, thinking he can predict each and every thing. You and I both know that rarely happens in a Quidditch match."  
  
Harry stopped chewing and stared at her for a good thirty seconds. He swallowed hard and wiped his mouth. "Uh.wow."  
  
"Thank you," said Ginny, with a small smile. "I've had more than enough practice watching my brothers play, not to mention playing when I got old enough."  
  
"But," said Harry suddenly, "how do you know I'm the better strategist? I've never shown you any of my Quidditch.."  
  
"I've seen you play." She set her fork down at two o' clock on her plate and watched the plate vanish into the table. She then stood up, smiled at him and turned to leave the Great Hall.  
  
Harry hastily gulped down the rest of his pumpkin juice and threw his napkin on his plate. "Wait!" he shouted. "You aren't going to explain? Where are you going?"  
  
"We'll talk later," called Ginny over her shoulder.  
  
Harry frowned as the door closed her red curls from his view. Why did she do that? He suspiciously drew the corner of his sweater to his nose.  
  
Ugh. He did smell like preservative.  
  
~*~  
  
Harry pulled a clean sweater over his head and smeared the steam off the mirror with his hand.  
  
"Such lovely eyes, my boy," said the mirror with a fond tone.  
  
Harry tried to flatten his hair. "Uh, thanks."  
  
"Oh yes, they're some of the nicest in the school," continued the mirror.  
  
Harry stopped combing. "I.um.you really think they're nice?"  
  
"Why, yes, I'm sure the girls just adore you.."  
  
"Girls...notice eyes?"  
  
The mirror laughed in a very maternal fashion. "Yes, dear. You've got a very sweet face, I wouldn't worry about the girls noticing you."  
  
Harry ran a hand through his hair and walked off, a little distractedly.  
  
~*~  
  
"Sweet face," mimicked Harry with a snort, "stupid mirror doesn't know what she's talking about. I'm not six years old.."  
  
"Password?"  
  
"Bright copper kettles," grumbled Harry. Hermione's passwords were really getting ridiculous.  
  
"I didn't hear that, dear," trilled the Fat Lady.  
  
"BRIGHT COPPER KETTLES!" shouted Harry. Did everyone see the need to call him 'Dear'?  
  
"Well!" huffed the Fat Lady swinging open.  
  
"Harry!" Ron hopped off the couch arm and grinned. "Check out this book I got today!"  
  
Harry glanced around the common room and saw Ginny sitting with Hermione at the table, they were both laughing at something.  
  
"You willingly bought a book?" Harry turned his attention back to Ron. "You've really got it bad for Hermione, haven't you."  
  
Ron's ears went pink and he thrust the book in Harry's hands. "Shut up, it's a Quidditch book."  
  
He flipped through it after taking a seat in one of the chairs. "Katie would like to use some of these plays," said Harry.  
  
"Check out the Cannons' new Seeker. She looks like your type, Harry," grinned Ron.  
  
Harry studied the picture. "She's blonde.she's okay I guess."  
  
"Oh that's right," said Ron rolling his eyes, "you go for the girls with the dark hair, like Cho Chang."  
  
"No," said Harry a little too sharply. "Not necessarily."  
  
"I heard Snape nearly killed you and Ginny with that detention," said Ron after he gave Harry a funny look.  
  
"Lets go sit with the girls," Harry interrupted.  
  
"All right," Ron said, "I figured you'd want to talk about Quidditch or something, after hanging around my sister for another entire day."  
  
"She knows about Quidditch, did you know that?"  
  
"Yes, but she really-."  
  
"Well, then we don't have to sit across the room from them."  
  
~*~  
  
"So Ron would blame me for almost everything he got in trouble for. I had to sit in the corner all day because of when he colored on the wall," said Ginny with an evil look in her brother's direction. "Did he fess up to mum that he did it? Noooo.not even a peep."  
  
"You helped me do that!" Ron said loudly. "Who was the one handing me the crayons?"  
  
"Because you told me I could play with your bear if I did! Then when you ran to go get more crayons, Mum caught me with the bucket."  
  
Harry and Hermione laughed at them. Ginny and Ron had been sharing childhood stories for about an hour now. It seemed like they had been partners in crime for most of their childhood.  
  
"But I let you have the bear for a whole week."  
  
"Because I cried all day, while I was facing the wall," laughed Ginny.  
  
Ron tossed a quill at her with a grin. "Get over it! I was five!" He looked at Harry and Hermione for some pity. "She doesn't forgive me for anything."  
  
"It must be fun having such a large family," smiled Hermione. "It's always just been me and my parents."  
  
"No!" shouted Ron and Ginny together. "It's not fun."  
  
"Well, sometimes it's all right," said Ginny thoughtfully.  
  
"Yeah, it was nice to have Bill around when Fred and George tried to beat me up," added Ron.  
  
"And Percy saved me from breaking my neck when I fell out of that one tree. He didn't even tell mum on me, healed my scrapes and everything, I didn't mind hearing him brag about his first year at Hogwarts after that."  
  
"Ginny's fallen out of one too many trees," Ron smirked, "that's why she's a bit daft."  
  
"Daft!? I wasn't the one who nearly flunked nursery school!"  
  
"What?" laughed Hermione.  
  
"He didn't want to learn his alphabet because he was going to grow up to be a famous broom racer. Apparently famous broom racers don't have to learn how to read," said Ginny.  
  
"My Muggle cousin almost got kicked out of his nursery school class because he sat on another kid," said Harry.  
  
"Ouch," said Ron.  
  
"The kid he sat on was in year four," Harry added.  
  
"What about you, Hermione?" Ron said looking over at her. "What did you do when you were little? Were you the perfect child?"  
  
"I'll have you know," said Hermione curtly, "that I got in a fight at school once."  
  
"You were in a fight?!" Ron doubled over with laughter. "Over what? A correct answer?"  
  
"I was in year three and this really immature boy took my library book and played keep-away with it on the playground."  
  
"A book," sighed Ron, "that figures."  
  
"I asked him to give it back politely, but he wouldn't listen."  
  
"What did you do?" asked Ginny.  
  
"Well, I had to hit him.because he wouldn't listen and there weren't any teachers around."  
  
"Did you punch him in the face?" laughed Ron.  
  
"I did not punch anyone in the face. My mother would have been furious if I did that."  
  
"That's right," remembered Harry, "you're related to dentists."  
  
"Oh no," said Hermione, "they didn't care about me knocking someone's teeth out.that'd actually be drumming up business, but it wasn't ladylike for me to punch people."  
  
"Did you kick him?"  
  
"Nooo, I smacked him in the face with my other library book." Hermione smiled at her hands. "He got a bloody nose and cried until his mum came to pick him up."  
  
"She's proud of herself!" Ron hooted, obviously very pleased about hearing Hermione losing her temper  
  
"It was special circumstances," Hermione said nonchalantly, "I most certainly did not fight all the time."  
  
"Yeah, right," teased Harry. "You were the terror with the library books."  
  
"I was not!"  
  
"Ginny was a terror period!" laughed Ron. "Everyone thought she was the most adorable little girl, boy did she have them fooled."  
  
"When you're small for your age, you have to learn how to defend yourself," said Ginny simply.  
  
"Girls never get in trouble for being bad, either," said Ron, "they just squirt a few tears and all is forgiven. Ginny had dad wrapped around her finger, still does actually."  
  
"Every girl can do that," Hermione said pointedly. "Wrapping boys around our fingers that is."  
  
"Ron's blushing!" giggled Ginny.  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
Ginny put her arm around her brother's shoulder and giggled. Ron rumpled her curls and slung his arm around her shoulder also.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Disclaimer: The chapter title is from : "Nuttin' for Christmas" with Smash Mouth and Rosie O'Donnell. The words are a bit different so that I could make it a little more grammatically correct. 


	4. "That's wit, Harry."

"Candles in the window, shadows painting the ceiling.  
  
Gazing at the fireglow, feeling that gingerbread feeling."  
  
~*~  
  
One week later.  
  
"Come on, Harry!" Ginny laughed as they pressed through the crowds of holiday shoppers in Hogsmeade. "We've got lots more to do!"  
  
Harry sighed when her bright red plaits tied off with shiny green ribbon disappeared in a cluster of bags and people. Ginny certainly was an enthusiastic holiday shopper, fun, but very exhausting.  
  
"Wait!" Harry heaved his packages and tried to speed himself up. "Ooof! Sorry!"  
  
The next thing he knew, he was sprawled out onto the sloppy snow covered street. The other shoppers were simply stepping over him and muttering loudly about 'Horse playing!'  
  
Harry groaned and took a quick check of all his limbs.  
  
"Clumsy boy! I demand an apology!"  
  
Harry looked up towards the voice and the end of a cane was immediately poking him in the chest.  
  
"Ow!" yelped Harry. "Sorry! It was an accident!"  
  
The cane's owner was a portly wizard with a huge scowl and expensive looking royal blue cloak. His packages were scattered along the street with Harry's.  
  
"Pathetic!" cried the man, sounding like a very elderly screech owl. "In my day, when a boy apologized to his elders, he meant it." The cane rapped sharply on the top of Harry's head.  
  
"Sir," said Harry wincing as the cane poised over his head for another strike, "I'm terribly sorry!"  
  
"Get up before you catch your death of cold from sitting in the snow! It's downright foolish!"  
  
Harry got to his feet and began collecting the man's packages. When he held them out to the man, the man snatched them and looked at Harry suspiciously.  
  
"That's more like it!" he said tersely, after Harry had apparently met his approval.  
  
Harry collected his packages and faced the man for one last apology. "I'm very sorry, sir. I hope I didn't br-."  
  
"Look at me when you are speaking!"  
  
Harry stopped talking and blinked. He was already looking at the man straight in the eye.  
  
"You're." the man said quietly, "why, you're Harry Potter."  
  
"Yes, sir," said Harry glancing around to make sure no one else had heard the man.  
  
The man beamed at him. "Pleasure to run into you, Master Potter." He gave a vigorous and happy stab with his cane on the pavement and strolled off, tipping his hat.  
  
Harry couldn't help it; the moment the man's back was turned he rolled his eyes. Pleasure to run into you.how revolting. Why, the man had been hitting him on the head with his cane before he knew who he was. Harry sighed and realized that Ginny was probably way ahead of him by now.  
  
"That was very polite," said a voice at his side.  
  
Harry looked to his left. "Ginny!" he sighed with relief.  
  
"I can't believe you picked up his packages after he hit you on the head with his cane! That was pretty nice of you."  
  
"You saw the whole thing!?"  
  
"I would have intervened," laughed Ginny, "but the face you made when he hit you with his cane was too much for me.."  
  
"I'll have a knot on my head, just so you know," Harry complained. "Glad you found it funny."  
  
"Holiday shoppers," Ginny sighed dramatically, "so very cruel."  
  
"Shut up," laughed Harry.  
  
~*~  
  
Ginny was enjoying this trip to Hogsmeade very much. She had been earlier in the week with Hermione and then with Ron and Hermione to see Fred and George at work. Harry hadn't been permitted to go with any of them because Professor McGonagall felt that it was entirely too dangerous for him to venture into Hogsmeade.  
  
Ginny had felt very sorry for Harry, but she had privately agreed with Professor McGonagall's opinions. Everything about this village this year seemed very different. The hustle and bustle of all the shoppers was still there but people seemed distant and less eager to converse with each other.  
  
Ginny didn't like it in the least. She had always been very fond of going to pick out her family's Christmas presents. She had been trying to plan how to get Ron's gift without him seeing it, since she wouldn't be allowed to go to the village by herself (Another rule of Professor McGonagall's: Two or more people at least.) and she also had to get Hermione's gift without her seeing it. Of course, the obvious answer would be to go with Ron and Hermione separately, but Ron had refused point-blank to go on a shopping trip with her without Hermione. Ginny had grumpily stored the thought away to use as ammunition in a later fall out with Ron, something to throw back at him, when he tried to play the 'I'm a loving older brother' card.  
  
"Do you think Hermione would like this?"  
  
Harry had shaken her out of her thoughts. Ginny looked at the thick slab of metal that had been thrust under her nose. No, make that, thick, ugly, slab of metal.  
  
"What is that?" said Ginny stepping back apprehensively.  
  
"A thing," said Harry turning it over and squinting. "I think.."  
  
"No, Harry, I don't think Hermione wants a thing," laughed Ginny.  
  
"No, it's a bookend! See, after awhile it sort of changes shape into stuff."  
  
"A thing that turns into stuff? Harry, think about that."  
  
Harry reshelved the thing, which twisted itself into more stuff. He shrugged at her. "I don't know what to get girls. Especially girls like Hermione."  
  
"You got Hermione something last year, didn't you?"  
  
"But," said Harry hopelessly, "that was before she was a girl."  
  
Ginny's brown eyes opened wide. "I'm sorry, but what in the name of insanity are you talking about?"  
  
"You know," urged Harry, making a face.  
  
"Harry, we really haven't got time to talk in code, since all you're finding are things that do st-."  
  
"Ron turned her into a girl because he figured out she was one," said Harry interrupting her.  
  
"First of all," said Ginny giving Harry a serious look, "my brother is not that talented." She then bit her lip and fought back laughter. "Second of all, that's not exactly how the whole 'girl' thing works, I'll have you know."  
  
"You're not helping," groaned Harry. "Tell me at least you sort of understand what I mean."  
  
"I know what you mean," said Ginny rolling her eyes, "and it's a good thing I came along, because you're making a big deal out of nothing."  
  
"Now you're the one talking in code!" cried Harry.  
  
"That's wit, Harry."  
  
"Ginny.."  
  
Ginny smiled, maybe shopping with Harry hadn't been such a fabulous idea. She had worrried quite a bit about what she would do this year for her Christmas shopping when Hermione presented an idea two days ago to Professor McGonagall. Why couldn't Harry go to the village if he carried a small item that would serve as a Portkey back to the castle if he got in any sort of danger. Professor McGonagall thought it over for an evening, and then presented Harry with a small talisman to carry in his pocket along with an hour of warnings, precautions, and threats.  
  
Ginny had been pleased when Harry announced that they would do their Christmas shopping together. Obviously, Ron and Hermione couldn't go with them since Harry had to purchase their gifts, and since Ginny had shopping to do of her own, it seemed to work out perfectly.  
  
Ginny had also gotten very used to Harry's company the past week. Sure, they had gotten the initial shyness very quickly, but it seemed like she and Harry had been friends for longer than a week. He was really a lot of fun to talk to, especially about Quidditch.  
  
Sometimes Ginny felt that all too familiar tightening of her stomach when Harry would do something really.well.charming. She still found herself blushing when he would look at her a certain way. It was those hateful eyes! It was impossible to not think Harry was attractive when he was in ownership of the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.  
  
Ginny found herself brushing aside the feelings angrily. She didn't want that. She wanted to be Harry's friend.  
  
"Ginny? Hello?" The hateful/beautiful eyes peered right into her own eyes, snapping her out of her thoughts again.  
  
"What did you say?" asked Ginny blankly. "Sorry, I didn't hear."  
  
"I didn't say anything.." Harry smiled quirkily. "Is that wit too?"  
  
"Oh! About Hermione!" Ginny said suddenly remembering.  
  
"Yes," Harry nodded slowly, "Hermione. You were telling me that I was making a big deal out of something or nothing or I don't know you sort of confused me."  
  
Ginny grinned, regaining her train of thought. "I was saying that you're worrying too much about it. Hermione's still your best friend, you can shop for her like you've shopped for her every year."  
  
"But," began Harry.  
  
Ginny shook her head to indicate that she wasn't finished, and he fell silent. "But, Ron's really the only one that's got to worry about her being a, well, as you put it 'a girl' because she's his girlfriend, not yours."  
  
"Oh!" said Harry happily. "Well, that is good news!"  
  
Ginny cocked her head. "Sorry?"  
  
"That came out wrong didn't it?" Harry sighed.  
  
"All you have to say is that she is your chum. Very simple, really."  
  
Harry smiled. "You sort of come in handy. Glad you came along."  
  
"You're welcome," Ginny replied politely. She then smiled mischievously as she pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. "The cane episode was well worth the walk."  
  
"You are mean to me!" laughed Harry as he pushed the shop door open, leading to the street.  
  
~*~  
  
"We've got to play Quidditch again before the holiday is over," said Harry walking up the road towards the castle.  
  
"Oh, that was fun!" Ginny exclaimed, "I told you I play Chaser."  
  
"So you're going to try out, for sure?"  
  
"If I didn't I would have to face the wrath of my mum," said Ginny with a grin.  
  
"Why on earth would she be angry if you didn't try out?"  
  
"You didn't know?" Ginny turned and faced Harry with a delighted expression. "About my mum?"  
  
"No.."  
  
"You really thought my brothers got all their flying talent from my dad?" Ginny laughed. "Harry, you obviously haven't seen my father on a broomstick. He's pathetic!"  
  
"Your mum.." Harry laughed. "You're pulling my leg."  
  
Ginny pushed her cloak away from her face. "No! She was a Chaser! I've got photos and everything. They called her 'The unbeatable Molly Brown'. She didn't go professional because she married Dad and they wanted kids.."  
  
"Why didn't Ron ever tell me?"  
  
"Never came up I guess. She's always encouraged me to get out and play with my brothers, said I reminded her of when she used to play."  
  
"Well, you've got talent! Do you have pictures of your mum when she was on the Gryffindor house team?"  
  
Ginny nodded. "In my room, I'll bring them to show you."  
  
Harry smiled. Ginny had been great fun the past week and couple of days. He had found himself looking forward to the trip to the village with her. They had had fun, as he knew they would. It was nice to have her around, especially when she was along with Ron and Hermione, one of the few people who treated him normally.  
  
For example..  
  
Splat!  
  
"Look out!" cried Ginny. "I threw a snowball!"  
  
Harry looked at his shoulder, which had a large clump of snow falling off of it. "Oh, thanks for the warning! After you threw it!"  
  
Ginny looked at him innocently. "You were the one who got that blank look on your face. I was simply trying to snap you out of it."  
  
"It wasn't even a good snowball."  
  
"It wasn't supposed to hurt, but if you like.."  
  
Harry dropped his packages and grabbed some snow from the snowdrift along the side of the road. Ginny laughed as it hit her in the side.  
  
"Look out," said Harry sarcastically.  
  
"You're on!" shouted Ginny grabbing another handful of snow.  
  
~*~  
  
Ginny was laughing so hard that it hurt.  
  
"It's a good thing that they have you playing Seeker! You can't throw anything!"  
  
They had been having a snowball fight for at least half an hour and neither of them were having much success since they were on opposite sides of the road.  
  
"I can throw!" yelled Harry. His snowball hit a fence post about five feet from Ginny.  
  
"Sure you can," laughed Ginny.  
  
"Okay, okay, let's stop!" called Harry.  
  
"Surrendering?"  
  
"It's nearly dusk."  
  
"Oh no!" Ginny leapt over her snow bank and hurriedly began grabbing her packages. "McGonagall is going to kill us if we don't hurry up!"  
  
Harry nodded and smiled. "I think she might even overlook the fact that it's close to Christmas when she gives us that detention.."  
  
They took off running down the road, hoping to beat the sun before it went down.  
  
~*~  
  
The sun was barely a sliver behind the castle when Harry and Ginny threw themselves upon the castle steps.  
  
"We," Ginny gasped for air, "made.it."  
  
Harry clutched his side and lay prostrated on the steps. "I thought we were in for it!"  
  
A tabby cat leisurely strolled from behind a pillar and immediately assumed the form of Professor McGonagall. "And not a moment too soon, might I add."  
  
"Professor," said Harry in his most cordial tone, hoping to make up for the fact that he wasn't quite able to stand up yet.  
  
"Despite what you might think, your holiday purchases and yourselves do very little for the décor of the castle steps."  
  
"We must have run the entire way back," said Ginny apologetically, "We had to catch our breath."  
  
"I recommend planning your time in the village a little more wisely next time."  
  
"We will," said Harry getting to his feet.  
  
Professor McGonagall's eyes widened behind her spectacles, "Mr. Potter! Are you aware of the state of your cloak?"  
  
Harry glanced down and shrugged with a smile.  
  
"You're sopping wet!"  
  
Ginny stifled a laugh and picked up her gifts. Her cloak was considerably more on the dry side.  
  
"It's just snow," explained Harry.  
  
"What on earth did you do? Roll in it!?" McGonagall ushered Harry into the castle to continue her lecture.  
  
"No, ma'am."  
  
"Really, Mr. Potter, I'd never expect you to be running around with a dripping cloak, Mr. Longbottom or the Creevey's perhaps, but never you! Tell me you have more sense than this!"  
  
Ginny thought this would be an appropriate time to flee the scene before McGonagall rounded on her. Harry could take care of this himself. She smiled and bounded up the stairs.  
  
"Well, I didn't really want the snow there," said Harry, watching her out of the corner of his eye. "I did try to avoid it."  
  
Professor McGonagall glowered. "Obviously not well enough! Do you at least have a legitimate explanation for it?"  
  
"Ginny's got good aim." Harry looked at the floor and tugged at the ends of his scarf. He knew if he looked her in the eye he would start laughing.  
  
"What? Oh, for goodness sakes!" Professor McGonagall gave a noise of exasperation and strode off with her robes flapping.  
  
~*~  
  
Harry hastened to the common room, eager to dump his Christmas shopping in his room and change into dry clothes. When tugged his bags behind him from the portrait and turned around, he realized that he was completely alone in the room. Harry shrugged tried not to feel disappointed that Ron and Hermione weren't around to greet him. He wanted to tell them about the new drink Madam Rosmerta had let he and Ginny try.  
  
Where had Ginny gotten off to anyway? Harry dropped the bags in his trunk and decided he was being a wimp. He could do something by himself.. He didn't need company all the time but, Harry thought closing his trunk, it would sort of be nice around the holidays. Holidays were a time for family, and since he had none to speak of..  
  
Think of something more constructive, you ninny, Harry told himself angrily. He stood up and shook the thoughts of family aside and hurried down to the common room, hoping to find a distraction of some kind.  
  
"Hey, Harry!"  
  
Happily, Harry saw Fred and George coming through the portrait. "Hi! How was Zonko's today? Ginny and I were going to come by, but we didn't have enough time."  
  
"McGonagall's still enforcing that 'Before sunset' rule on you all?" Fred made a face and leaned down to pull a large bag into the room. "Glad Mr. Zonko talked her into letting us be exempt from that."  
  
"Christmas presents," explained George, gesturing to the bag. "Wait until Christmas morning, Harry.you'll be in for a show!"  
  
Fred smiled in such a deviating manner, that Harry actually took a few deliberate steps back from the bag.  
  
"I'm sure I w-."  
  
Fred grinned. "Don't look so jittery. We're not going to give any bad gifts! In fact, I'm really sure Ginny will love her present!"  
  
"Had dinner yet?" yawned George.  
  
Harry nodded. "Ate something in Hogsmeade."  
  
"Well, we didn't. I think we'll go down to the kitchens and ask the House Elves for a five star gourmet meal."  
  
"Be sure and tell Hermione, too," grinned Fred. "Especially about the gourmet and the House Elves.."  
  
"I don't think that's really a good idea.."  
  
The twins deposited the bag in their dormitory and waved at Harry as they left to go get their dinner.  
  
Harry frowned. The twins had brought something very upsetting to his attention. What was he going to do about a Christmas gift for Ginny? Tomorrow was Christmas Eve and Harry didn't think he could muster up the gall to ask Hermione to help him pick something out. Ron was out of the question.  
  
He popped his knuckles and paced the floor. He was being stupid about this too, he and Ginny had only been friends for little over a week and it wasn't exactly reason to dally over the significance of her gift.  
  
But he had to get her something. She had really been nice to have around; he didn't know what he would have done without her to talk to.  
  
Harry felt his insides twist at the thought of her face on Christmas morning when he didn't have a present for her. It didn't really have to be a big ordeal; the thought would be the thing that counted.  
  
Perhaps a card. no, no, that was a crummy idea. What an idiot he would look like, handing her a handmade card that said:  
  
"Happy Christmas. Glad you're my friend."  
  
Even though the statement was entirely true it didn't say exactly what he wanted. Harry picked up a fireplace poker and passed it hand to hand as he thought.  
  
Well, what do you want to say? The voice in Harry's head piped up.  
  
I don't know, thought Harry furiously. She's not worrying about this; I think I'm losing it.  
  
You said she was your friend, if that's true, why not get her a gift like Hermione's?  
  
She wouldn't like it, Harry told the voice irritably.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
The fireplace poker fell on the floor with a clang.  
  
"Where did you go?" he said stooping to pick it up with burning cheeks.  
  
"My room," said Ginny, "I was wrapping gifts."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Harry saw her look past him, and her eyes suddenly looked very upset.  
  
"My roses," Ginny sighed wistfully, touching a drooping flower.  
  
Harry watched petals flutter to the table along with many others. "They lasted longer than Hagrid said they would, you must have taken good care of them."  
  
"Yes, I suppose."  
  
As Ginny began to clean the vase, Harry swept some of the dried leaves and petals into his hand, was about to throw them into the fire when he stopped-  
  
What if he.. Harry glanced at Ginny and then quickly pocketed the petals without her noticing.  
  
~*~  
  
Ginny smiled and held up her orange peel for Harry to see. "Look at this talent!"  
  
Harry looked up from his book and pushed his glasses up, which had slid to the end of his nose. "Just one peel?"  
  
"Yup," said Ginny cheerfully. "We've got lots of holiday left, why did you just get the sudden urge to study?"  
  
"Not studying," said Harry turning a page. "I'm looking for a specific spell I thought I had seen before."  
  
"Would you like me to help?" Ginny pulled the orange apart and offered Harry a wedge, to which he just shook his dark hair in rejection and pored over his book again.  
  
Ginny peered at the spine of the book. Standard Book of Spells: Grade Five. Oh, so that was it. He didn't think she'd be old enough. Fine, let him study then, maybe he was still sore about that snowball he had taken directly in the head.  
  
"Would you and your book like to be left alone?"  
  
Harry shook his head again but didn't say anything else.  
  
Ginny helped herself to another piece of orange and looked around for a distraction. Fortunately, two owls picked an opportune moment to swoop through the window and land in front of her with letters.  
  
"Thank you," said Ginny. She eagerly picked up a hunter green envelope with her name written on it in shimmering blue ink. Ginny ripped it open and laughed at the first line.  
  
"Who's that from?" Her laugh had obviously gotten Harry's attention and he was looking at the letter in her hand.  
  
"Charlie wrote back in response to my Christmas card." Ginny smiled at the letter happily.  
  
"You write.Christmas cards?"  
  
Ginny stared at him. "You don't?"  
  
"Well, no.I wouldn't know who to send one to." Harry looked a little embarrassed.  
  
"I send them to my brothers that aren't at Hogwarts. I used to send them to everyone when I was at home and they were at school, also. I think they like to get the letters.."  
  
"Your parents too?"  
  
"Now that I'm at school, yes." Ginny opened the letter again. She expected Harry to go straight back to his book, but she could tell he was staring at her as she read. "Harry, um, I can read it aloud if you like.."  
  
"Would you? I mean that'd be really nice." Harry shut his book and put his elbows on his knees.  
  
Ginny couldn't help but think it was really sweet of Harry to be interested in what Charlie was doing. She cleared her throat and began to read aloud.  
  
Dear Snapdragon,  
  
I was very gl-  
  
"Snapdragon?" Harry looked quite puzzled, yet amused.  
  
"Oh," said Ginny looking up, "that's Charlie's nickname for me. I'm sure it had something to do with his love affair with dragons. He's called me it ever since I was little, and since it's also the name of a flower,  
  
"Sorry, I interrupted. You can read again."  
  
Dear Snapdragon,  
  
I was very glad to receive your Christmas card this year. It couldn't have happen at a nicer time, since I had had a really rotten day. (Nearly got my head taken off by a Welsh Green. Didn't come out with a scratch, but my robes and my pride had huge gaping holes in them.) Besides, I was wondering how everything at Hogwarts was this year. It's nice you keep us updated since Fred, George, and Ron seem to be too busy to write. Fred and George must be having a ball at Zonko's (I hope you didn't mention anything to mum..) and tell Ron that I told him it was about bloody time he did something about his Hermione predicament. I thought I was going to owl her myself if he didn't stop moping around the house. I had only been around for a week I don't know how you got through the entire summer, plus the beginning of the school year. Oh well, we never said he was the alert one, now did we?  
  
Ginny looked up when she heard Harry laughing quietly into his robe sleeve. She smiled and read on.  
  
Good for you for getting a perfect score on your Potions midterm, and yes, I agree with you when you said you thought Snape would feel ill after he had to put the grade on your paper. It's a good thing the one thing Percy was bad at was Potions, or he might have killed Snape off. Of course, I'm not sure that it would be a bad thing or not. Why don't you give it a try? We've been quite busy here with the war going on and all. They're talking about putting dragons in the fight. I certainly hope it goes through; the thought of a Death Eater burned into a crunchy dragon treat really isn't a bad plan. Very environmental if you ask me, everyone would be happy and the dragons would get fresh food.poof, crunch, gulp, problem solved.  
  
Ginny and Harry laughed loudly. "He's got a weird sense of humor," said Ginny grinning. "Dragons are the answer to everything."  
  
"Keep reading," urged Harry. He seemed to be enjoying the letter very much.  
  
All in all dear sis, everything is well. I hope I'll get to see you at least before summer. Give Fred, George, and Ron a big hug for me and tell them I said hello. Also.perhaps you should-  
  
Ginny stopped reading.  
  
"What is it?" asked Harry, "It's not anything bad is it?"  
  
"No, he mentioned you. He's never done that before."  
  
"Me? What do you mean?" Harry looked bewildered.  
  
Ginny didn't answer and went back to the letter.  
  
Also.perhaps you should check up on Harry this holiday. I expect Ron and Hermione have been around less than usual. I'm sure you two would get along splendidly and I'd like to know how he's been doing. Have a wonderful Christmas.  
  
Love,  
  
Charlie  
  
"That's odd that he would think of me." Harry picked the lint on the rug. "I only met him just last summer."  
  
"It's Charlie," said Ginny hoping this was explanation enough, "I guess he took a liking to you last year. Probably because you're a fellow Seeker and all that."  
  
"Well, he's right though," added Harry, "we do get along splendidly."  
  
"Yes," said Ginny, "but it's sort of odd.."  
  
"What is? That we get along?"  
  
"No, no, not that. It's odd because Hagrid said something very similar to me."  
  
"He did?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
The room got extraordinarily quiet as they both tried to think of something to say in the silence. Fortunately, Hedwig picked an opportune time to fly through the window, giving Harry grounds to change the subject.  
  
"Hedwig!" he said abruptly.  
  
"Expecting mail?" asked Ginny.  
  
Harry's forehead wrinkled as he looked at the letter tied to Hedwig's leg. "Not really."  
  
~*~  
  
"Read it aloud," smiled Ginny. "I read mine, it's only fair."  
  
Harry pulled the letter off and stroked Hedwig's feathers. His stomach dropped as he realized who it was from. He couldn't read this aloud! He hadn't expected Sirius to reply so quickly.  
  
"I, I, don't think it's interesting," stuttered Harry trying to pocket the letter. "What if we play chess or something instead?"  
  
"Come on, Harry," said Ginny. "You're being silly."  
  
"No.really.very uninteresting!" Harry yelped and scooted backwards as Ginny reached across him for the letter.  
  
"Not that uninteresting if you're trying to be secretive," laughed Ginny.  
  
Quickly, Harry considered his situation. Could he trust Ginny? Well, yes, that was an easy answer, but how would she react? He dodged a lunge in his direction from Ginny and tried not to laugh as she pulled on the back of his robes.  
  
"No," said Harry holding his hands up, "stop, stop a moment! I have to explain something!"  
  
Harry didn't expect it, but Ginny poked him in the stomach. He doubled over with laughter.  
  
"Come on, Harry," laughed Ginny poking him again.  
  
Harry fought to contain his laughter, but it was no use.she had found a tickle spot, and she knew it.  
  
"You," he gasped as he laughed, "have a one track mind."  
  
"You're being stubborn."  
  
Harry gave her a look. "Take it." He wanted to tell her about Sirius, he didn't know exactly why, but having her become involved seemed the right thing to do. He would eventually tell her anyway, so why not now?  
  
Ginny looked at him suspiciously. "You're really giving up that easily? No fight?"  
  
Harry shook his head and set the letter in front of him then leaned back on his hands to watch her expression. "No fight."  
  
Ginny slit it open and Harry held his breath as her eyes glanced down at the signature.  
  
The letter fluttered toward the ground.  
  
Ginny's eyes were wide with fright, her face colorless. "Sirius Black.how can that be?" she whispered to Harry. "You.."  
  
Harry felt extremely guilty that he startled her, but there really was no other way.  
  
"I want to tell you something," he said picking up the letter.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Disclaimer: Chapter quote at the beginning is from Somewhere in my Memory by John Williams. Harry's line of "You are mean to me!" is from Shrek. The shiny green ribbon on the end of Ginny's plaits belongs to me. ( 


	5. "Yeah Ron, a walk...."

Merry Christmas Baby, you sure do treat me right.  
  
~*~  
  
Ginny hadn't moved for two hours. She had held Harry's gaze as he talked without stopping…filling in the gaps that she had always wondered about. She heard the complete stories of everything that had happened the past few years. She hadn't interrupted to ask a single question, and she knew Harry was grateful.  
  
"…and that's really it. Now you know." Harry sighed and leaned back on a chair, looking very tired.  
  
Ginny knew she wouldn't be able to say what she really felt, she doubted there were even words to describe the mixture of her feelings.  
  
"Are you okay?" asked Harry, "It's sort of a lot…I suppose. I'm sorry."  
  
Ginny couldn't believe it. After he had told her all of that, after he had to relive everything, he was concerned of how she was feeling.  
  
"Harry," Ginny began, "I don't think you realize…."  
  
"Realize what?"  
  
"What a wonderful person you are," finished Ginny softly.  
  
The fire crackled softly behind them. Ginny looked straight at him, for once not feeling a blush rising in her cheeks. Harry looked away, shaking his head.  
  
"I'm not. That's the thing, I'm not, and everyone expects me to do the brave thing, or nice thing, and sometimes I have to make myself do those things…because if I don't…."  
  
"And not everyone makes themselves do those things," said Ginny shortly. "You don't do them to look good, and you know it."  
  
Harry's mouth opened and Ginny could see him thinking.  
  
"Thank you," he said finally.  
  
Ginny laughed and pushed him playfully. "See? That wasn't so hard! That's called accepting a compliment."  
  
Harry laughed also. "You're a good listener," he said.  
  
"Thank you," Ginny grinned.  
  
"Oh, you accepted that quickly. Can I try another?" asked Harry.  
  
"Yes, complimenting games never get old," said Ginny smiling.  
  
"You can throw a mean snowball," said Harry.  
  
"And you're a good Seeker."  
  
"Wait, that's cheating!" cried Harry. "You didn't accept it."  
  
"Yes I did," said Ginny smugly, "You can accept a compliment by answering with another."  
  
"You're tricky."  
  
"Thank you!"  
  
Harry tossed the envelope that Sirius' letter had come in at her with a smirk. "You're pretty too."  
  
Ginny paused and reminded herself that she was being calm and collected. "That's a bad combination," she said without skipping a beat, "tricky and pretty."  
  
"Ha!" said Harry triumphantly. "You didn't accept the compliment."  
  
"It's a not a compliment if you don't say it sincerely, and you're merely trying to trick the other person," said Ginny crossly.  
  
"Who said I wasn't being sincere?"  
  
Ginny felt her heart do a flip-flop and opened her mouth to reply. Who cared about calm and collected now?  
  
"Hello!" called Ron coming through the portrait hole.  
  
Ginny could have cursed him. It was all a matter if she used words or her wand. When Ron plopped down between them, she had decided that both would be appropriate.  
  
"Hi, where were you?" asked Harry.  
  
"Hagrid's," said Hermione appearing in the common room also. "He invited us for dinner and watched Ron and I play chess."  
  
"How was Hogsmeade?" Ron said, reaching over Ginny to pull another orange out of the bowl on the table.  
  
"Fun," said Harry, "Madam Rosmerta let us try this new flavor of butterbeer, it was really good."  
  
"What'd it taste like?"  
  
"Bit like a strawberry cordial, I guess," said Harry. "Right, Gin?"  
  
Ginny nodded silently. This was not the conversation she wanted to be having with Harry right now. Her brother had messed up things for her again, and this wasn't just the last cookie or a fight over which WWN station to listen to.  
  
"Say," Ron said curiously, "what does that bring the number of different flavored butterbeer up to?"  
  
"Ah…," Ginny could see Harry performing the calculations in his head, "about a hundred and ten, give or take a few."  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
"Increbresco floris!" Harry prodded the petals with his wand and studied them hopefully.  
  
Nothing. Harry let out a loud sigh of frustration and turned back to the spell book. It should have worked, even though they were just petals…. But, they had remained completely the same, with the exception of becoming even brown and curling around the edges from being poked so much with Harry's wand.  
  
Perhaps he was saying it all wrong. "In-cre-bresco," murmered Harry, rolling the word on his tongue. "Incre-bre-sco…no, that isn't right either." Harry quietly cursed the fact that almost every spell was in Latin, the most non-sensible language ever. Typical of wizards to chose it.  
  
"In-cre-bresco floris!" Harry repeated, turning away from the spell book and poking a petal roughly. "Live!" he groaned, "why can't you just cooperate and LIVE?!"  
  
The petal smoked a bit but, nevertheless remained quite lifeless…and simply a petal. Harry halfway wanted to see it catch on fire, but it looked like it was simply going to smoke. No, he wouldn't be that lucky, of course he wouldn't be able to set it on fire when he wanted to see it…. Slumping over the spell book again, Harry tapped his wand on the table thoughtfully. He could do this. He could produce a full Patronus, yet…he was letting a stupid flower spell get in his way.  
  
Harry pushed up the sleeves of his sweater and decided to have one last stand off with the petals before lunch.  
  
"Hey, Harry!"  
  
Ron had entered the dormitory and immediately took interest to what Harry was doing. Harry swallowed hard, not knowing how he would explain this to Ron. He considered sweeping all the petals off the table so Ron wouldn't see, but he knew Ron would catch on rather quickly.  
  
"Hi, Ron, I thought you'd be with Hermione."  
  
"She's in the village with Gin." Ron squinted at the rose petals and then at Harry. "What're you doing? Making perfume or something?"  
  
"Uhh…Herbology…," began Harry, "yeah, Herbology practice!"  
  
"Herbology practice? She didn't give you extra credit did she?" Ron looked somewhat annoyed. "I need extra credit, I flunked that last quiz on the magical beanstalks…can't believe she only gave you the extra credit…."  
  
"It's not extra credit," said Harry hastily. "I wanted to be a bit ahead…so I don't have to study as much…."  
  
Harry avoided Ron's gaping look and nervously flipped a few pages in the spell book.  
  
"Okay," said Ron crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. "I don't believe you. What are you really doing?"  
  
"Trying to see if I could get this to grow into a whole flower," Harry confessed, hoping this would not lead to further questioning.  
  
Luckily, this seemed interesting enough for Ron and he looked over Harry's shoulder at the book. "Let's see the spell, that sounds pretty neat."  
  
Harry sighed. "I can't get it right."  
  
"Maybe you've got to say it with feeling," With the word feeling, Ron snorted with laughter. "Like Professor Flitwick is always telling us to do…to make the charms more than words."  
  
Harry gave him a look.  
  
Still laughing, Ron took out his own wand and jokingly pranced around the room. Artistically waving his wand around, Ron bellowed the words, "Wingardium Levosia!" and clutched his chest dramatically after doing so.  
  
"Put my bed down," said Harry dryly, "you prat."  
  
"With feeling," repeated Ron, still laughing at him.  
  
"Anyone can do a Levitating charm," said Harry trying not to laugh.  
  
"Just try it," said Ron leaning on the table. "I want to see."  
  
Harry picked up his wand again and focused on the petal. "Increbresco Floris!" he bellowed, bringing his wand down with a sweep onto the petal.  
  
"Wicked!" Ron whispered, staring down in awe at the petal.  
  
Harry was astounded to see a soft red light appear around the petal and begin to pulse. Sort of like…a heartbeat. The petal swelled and twisted itself before their eyes and became two rose petals. Then three…four…until it was an entire rosebud. Harry held his breath. It was very pretty to watch. A stem began to push out from the base of the rosebud and tiny, perfect thorns began to rise from it.  
  
Harry watched beautiful green leaves unwrap themselves and the petals began to peel back away from the bud and the rose slowly bloomed before their eyes. Suddenly, the light stopped pulsing around it and it unceremoniously fell from mid air, back onto the table, but now…a perfect rose.  
  
"It worked," said Harry disbelievingly. He cautiously picked up the rose between two fingers and examined it.  
  
"Flitwick isn't full of it after all," laughed Ron.  
  
Harry nodded, still not believing he finally did it. "Guess not."  
  
"You've got to show Hermione, she'll go crazy not knowing how to do that!" The anticipation of Hermione's reaction was clearly now at the top Ron's priorities "I bet she demands to know the exact page number…."  
  
Harry was about to agree with him when he realized he couldn't show Hermione the charm. "I can't!" he blurted.  
  
Ron's face fell. "What! Why not!?"  
  
"It's…a…surprise," stuttered Harry.  
  
"You're giving Hermione flowers?!" Ron was utterly lost. "Are you trying to make me look bad or something?! What's Hermione going to do with some flowers?"  
  
"They aren't for her!" Harry held up his hands in a peaceful gesture, "Really, they aren't."  
  
"Then for who?" Ron demanded.  
  
Despite being in very hot water, Harry couldn't help but take a few seconds to reflect how very daft Ron could be sometimes.  
  
"The…dormitory," he said after a moments thought.  
  
"You're…decorating our dormitory with roses?" Ron took a large step away from Harry, eying him suspiciously. "W-w-why?"  
  
Harry was slightly annoyed that Ron would jump that conclusion so quickly. "I don't play for that team, you git."  
  
"Oh." The relief on Ron's face was very clear.  
  
"Git," Harry repeated, still very disgruntled.  
  
"Sorry, mate…erm…chap."  
  
Harry suddenly looked down at his hands. Was he just holding it too tightly, or was the rose becoming hot? He dropped it into the table and stared at it.  
  
"What?" Ron asked.  
  
Harry and Ron jumped back as the rose burst into flames.  
  
"Put it out! Put it out!"  
  
The rose began to turn a brighter red under the flames and it began to shudder.  
  
Ka-blam!  
  
Harry and Ron laid on the dormitory floor, hands covering their heads as bits of flaming rose petal rained down everywhere.  
  
"That," Ron said coughing, "is one wicked charm."  
  
"It wasn't supposed to do that." Harry was coughing also. "I didn't read anything about giant fireballs…."  
  
"Not exactly the flowers you want to give on a date, eh?"  
  
Harry laughed and brushed smoldering bits of flower off of his sweater.  
  
~*~  
  
Later, when Harry came down the dormitory steps, Ginny immediately assaulted him with a popcorn bowl.  
  
Harry groaned and tried to catch the breath that had been knocked out of him. "Want to take that out of my stomach now?"  
  
"Sorry!" said Ginny happily. "You've been recruited!"  
  
Harry shot a questioning look at Hermione and Ron who were also both sitting by the fireplace with enormous bowls of popcorn. Ron was clearly being forced to do whatever he had been recruited for, because he was trying very hard not to scowl at his little sister.  
  
"For what?" asked Harry taking a handful of popcorn.  
  
Ginny lightly slapped his hand. "Don't eat that."  
  
Hermione was stifling her laughter in the corner while Harry stared at Ginny, still getting over the idea that she had just reprimanded him. "Well what on earth ELSE would I do with it?"  
  
Ron put on a very false excited voice. "We're making popcorn garland for the birds!" He held up a long strand of popcorn on a string with a needle.  
  
"Because?" asked Harry taking a seat, trying to hide a smile.  
  
"Because the birds are hungry and it's hard for them to find food with all the snow on the ground," said Ginny scowling at Ron. "It's a kind thing to do."  
  
"Goody," Ron said flatly. "I dropped out of Spell Scouts, maybe they'll let me join again if I tell them about this."  
  
"You were kicked out of Spell Scouts," corrected Ginny, handing Harry a needle and thread. She looked at Harry and Hermione. "Very bad incident with Spell Scout etiquette, probably best not to go into it."  
  
"Shut up," muttered Ron, stabbing a piece of popcorn.  
  
"I think," began Hermione, "that it's a nice way to spend our free time. We could be just sitting here talking, and not getting something accomplished."  
  
Ginny nodded and smiled at her.  
  
"Or we could have gone for a butterbeer," Ron said rolling his eyes.  
  
"Cheer up, you insufferable grouch," Ginny said, tossing a piece of popcorn at Ron and hitting him on the nose.  
  
Harry pushed his needle through a piece of popcorn and smiled.  
  
~*~  
  
Ginny leaned over and double-checked the line, to make sure it was even. She could never get eyeliner right. She then held two tubes of lipstick to the light, contemplating which color was better. Ginny lightly applied it and smiled happily. Perfect color. She was about to add another coat when Ron snorted in his sleep and rolled over.  
  
Drat, Ginny thought, she'd never finish with him on his side like that. Oh well, she could try.  
  
Just as she was adding the finishing touch of lip-gloss, Ron sleepily opened one eye and looked at her.  
  
"GINNY!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"What? What? Who?" Harry had sat straight up in his bed and was looking around wildly, fumbling for his glasses.  
  
Ron was trying to lunge at her from his bed, and covers were flying everywhere. Ron landed with a loud thump on the dormitory floor, still shouting.  
  
Ginny made a break for the door, laughing hysterically.  
  
Quite disoriented, Harry placed his glasses on his face just in time to see a pastel yellow dressing gown sweep out of the doorway. He turned slowly to see Ron clawing at his face, saying very unkind things about Ginny.  
  
"Happy Christmas," Harry said, very amused. "You look quite made up for this time of morning."  
  
"Shut up, Harry!"  
  
  
  
Harry yawned and shuffled downstairs to find Ginny curled up on the couch, looking very proud of herself.  
  
"Was he mad?" Ginny questioned excitedly, as Harry took a seat next to her.  
  
"I don't think I've ever seen him get out of bed so quickly," smiled Harry. "What'd you do that for? It's Christmas."  
  
"Yes, Happy Christmas," Ginny said smiling and hugging him.  
  
Pleasantly surprised, Harry returned the hug and felt considerably less sleepy and a good deal warmer when he pulled away. "You avoided the question," he said glancing at her slippers, which were also pastel yellow, with tiny stars embroidered on them.  
  
"It's a payback," Ginny said nonchanlantly. "For a few Christmas' ago."  
  
Harry decided it was better not to ask and he grinned at her. "Holding grudges I see."  
  
"You would too," Ginny said stretching. "I wish the others would hurry up so we can open presents."  
  
"Good morning!" Hermione had entered the room, pulling her dressing gown over her pajamas. She warmed her hands by the fire. "I was having the strangest dream, all these people were yelling…and doors slamming…."  
  
"Oh," said Ginny innocently, "is that so?"  
  
"Happy Christmas," said Harry.  
  
"Yes, Happy Christmas," said Hermione taking a seat on the hearthrug. "Is Ron awake yet?"  
  
"A bit…," Harry lied.  
  
Ginny hastily turned her laugh into a cough and shared a smile with Harry.  
  
There was a loud clatter on the stairs, and the twins appeared, sporting identical smiles. "Happy Christmas!"  
  
"Happy Christmas!" they called back.  
  
"So, Ginny dear…," said Fred leaning his elbows on the back of the couch. "We awoke to the piercing cry of our little brother…and upon investigation…."  
  
"Bravo!" cheered George, interrupting Fred. "One of your best paybacks yet! Did you get a photo?"  
  
Ginny shook her curls, still a bit mussed from sleep. "I wish."  
  
"Ooooh," groaned Fred putting his hands over his face, "and we would have paid you good sickles for it!"  
  
"Have we taught you nothing?!" George sighed and rumpled her hair. "Always take a photograph!"  
  
Hermione raised an inquisitive eyebrow in Ginny's direction. "What happened to Ron?"  
  
"She attacked me, that's what!" came Ron's grumpy voice. He was still wiping his face with a damp towel, although there weren't any traces of makeup.  
  
"And you deserved it," said Fred sitting down next to Ginny, putting a protective arm around her. "Our favorite little sister and genius apprentice has made us proud."  
  
"Happy Christmas," said Ginny crawling to grab a present under the tree. She handed it to Ron and smiled sweetly at him. "Truce? It is Christmas after all."  
  
Ron eyed the present suspiciously.  
  
"Oh go on," laughed Ginny, "I swear that was the last thing I was going to do to you."  
  
Ron pulled off the bow and peered in the box.  
  
"Hey…thanks," he said slowly, turning a book over in his hands. "This is really cool!"  
  
"Show us what it is," said Hermione.  
  
"Quidditch tactics," Ron said. "Thanks, Gin!"  
  
"Pass out the rest of the presents!"  
  
~*~  
  
Harry yawned and laid his head comfortably on the arm of the couch. Ginny was admiring the bracelet Fred and George had bought her, and Harry really liked the monogrammed Quidditch equipment bag they had gotten him. The twins really had gotten them all nice presents…but Harry was certain they still had something up their sleeves.  
  
Harry lifted his head when he saw Ron hand Hermione a present. What had he gotten her?  
  
"Happy Christmas, Hermione," Ron said, playing with a scrap of wrapping paper on the floor.  
  
Hermione smiled at him and eagerly pulled off the paper.  
  
Oh no, Harry thought.  
  
"It's a…," Hermione held it in her hand, very puzzled.  
  
"Thing," Harry finished slowly.  
  
Ginny pressed her finger to her lips and gave Harry a "keep quiet" look.  
  
Ron had gotten Hermione the bookends that Harry had picked up in the shop.  
  
Ginny leaned over the couch and cupped her hand around Harry's ear. "I couldn't talk him out of it. He picked those out over a locket."  
  
The bookends twisted themselves into a very interesting, very odd shape…and Hermione stared at them.  
  
"Thank you," she said kissing Ron on the cheek. "I love them."  
  
Ron blushed to the tip of his nose and he grinned happily. "You're welcome! I thought of you when I saw them."  
  
Harry snorted loudly into the couch arm and bit his tongue to keep from laughing. Ron would learn, he supposed.  
  
"You haven't opened mine!" cried Ginny suddenly, pushing Harry. "Come over to the table!"  
  
Harry felt himself blushing again. Ginny had appeared to like the engraved wand box he had gotten her, and proclaimed it very beautiful.  
  
"Pull that box up," she said, pointing to the table.  
  
Harry obliged and stared down at what was under it.  
  
"Thank you," he said dumbly, not knowing exactly what to say. "It's a…."  
  
"Bowl of water?!" Ron exclaimed. "What?"  
  
Harry had to agree with him. That was what it was, a round glass container filled with water…with a few rocks in it.  
  
"It's not a bowl of water," Ginny sighed, rolling her eyes at them. "He's hiding."  
  
"He?" Harry repeated.  
  
"Yes!"  
  
Ginny bent over the bowl and tapped it gently. Harry now noticed a small castle in the water, and watched it carefully.  
  
"Come on out and meet Harry," Ginny said to the water.  
  
A tiny red fish literally peeped out of the castle.  
  
"It's alright…come on…."  
  
The fish slowly began to swim out of the castle, and Harry saw that he was not only red, but had yellow front fins, and a bright green tail and huge comical eyes. He timidly swam up to the side of the bowl that Harry was peering into and Harry swore the fish was sizing him up.  
  
"Isn't he adorable?" Ginny said happily.  
  
The fish did a small underwater loop and eagerly swam to the side to see Harry's reaction. Harry grinned.  
  
"What sort of fish is he?"  
  
"Oh, those are neat," Ron said, looking into the bowl. "They do tricks…like jump out of the water through hoops and stuff. Although that one looks a little…funny in the head if you ask me."  
  
Ginny shook her head and looked miffed. "Well, he doesn't do stupid tricks!"  
  
Harry watched the fish eagerly jet around and around in the bowl.  
  
"Then why'd you buy him?" Ron demanded.  
  
"Because he had personality," Ginny glared. "Those other stupid fish were too busy showing off to bother to meet me. He swam right up with his little cute face…."  
  
Ron laughed openly. "There you have it, Harry. Ginny bought you the special fish."  
  
"I like him," Harry said, not turning from the bowl. "I don't know what I'll call him."  
  
"I've named him."  
  
"Now you're really in for it," Ron added. "Look what she did to Pig's name!"  
  
"Shut up, Ron."  
  
The fish stopped doing laps and looked at Harry again. Much to Harry's surprise, he reversed to the back of the bowl, then suddenly slammed himself against the front of the bowl.  
  
"Hey, stop!" Harry said, "you're going to hurt yourself!"  
  
The glass was making pinging noises each time the fish hit it.  
  
Ginny stopped arguing with Ron enough to glance at the fish. "Oh, he's hungry, Harry. That's all. Feed him." She tossed a container of food.  
  
"Stop, stop…I've got food!" Harry dropped a few pellets into the water. The fish immediately stopped banging himself against the side of the bowl and swirled around the food happily. Harry pulled out a chair and sat to laugh at the fish. "What's his name?"  
  
"Amadeus," Ginny smiled. "I figured Mozart was a crazy genius, so it really fits him."  
  
"Amadeus," Harry repeated. "I really like it."  
  
Amadeus gave an enthusiastic wriggle of his back fin and set to doing laps again.  
  
~*~  
  
Ron was sleepily laying on his side, sorting through Every Flavor Beans, and Hermione was engrossed in a book Harry had gotten her. Ginny was writing with the new calligraphy set Hermione gave her and Harry was about to fall asleep with his head on the table.  
  
"Hey, Hermione," Ron said suddenly. "Want to go for a walk?"  
  
"Mmm?" Hermione said distractedly.  
  
"A walk," Ron repeated. "You know…a walk."  
  
Ginny began quietly giggling over her calligraphy. "Oh yeah Ron, a walk."  
  
"Okay," said Hermione shutting her book, "the castle is lovely during Christmas."  
  
"We'll be back before dinner."  
  
"Have fun," Harry yawned. He glanced at Ginny knowingly and smiled. "On your walk…."  
  
Fred and George had mysteriously left the common room, a few hours earlier,(Harry was sure they were plotting something, because gift opening had been very quiet.) so this left Ginny and Harry completely alone.  
  
"Did you have a nice Christmas?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Yes, thank you. I really like Amadeus."  
  
Ginny laughed. "So do I. You have to let me watch him sometimes."  
  
"Course," Harry said, rummaging in his stocking. "Sweet?" He offered her a Sugarquill.  
  
She shook her head. "That was nice of Sirus to send us all stockings, especially me…I've never met him."  
  
Harry shrugged. "Well, you're my friend, he probably felt bad about me scaring you about him. Maybe you can meet him soon, he's really nice."  
  
There was a tapping noise on the glass and Ginny leapt up to open the window. A gray owl swooped in and deposited a long green package at Ginny's feet.  
  
"For me?" she said frowning. "But everyone sent their gifts…."  
  
Harry leaned over and looked at the box. "It's got your name on it. Obviously it's for you."  
  
"Thanks," Ginny said sarcastically, "I could have never figured that out on my own."  
  
"Open it, then."  
  
Ginny untied the red bow around the box and pulled off the lid.  
  
"Oh! They're beautiful!"  
  
A dozen roses lay in the box, wrapped in pretty gold and green paper.  
  
"My father maybe? Bill?"  
  
Harry shrugged and watched her search for the card.  
  
"Here it is," Ginny said, opening it.  
  
This isn't being noble, is it?  
  
Ginny dropped the card and stared at Harry, open-mouthed. Harry thought she looked cute when she was surprised.  
  
"Harry! You sent these?!"  
  
Harry nodded and became very interested in the rug.  
  
"They look just like the ones outside of Hagrid's cabin! Almost the very same color."  
  
"I sent the florist a petal," Harry muttered shyly. "I guess she matched it."  
  
Ginny was staring, enamored at the roses. "That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me, Harry Potter."  
  
"You're welcome," Harry said, ripping a piece of wrapping paper in his hand.  
  
Ginny flung her arms around his neck and hugged him. "Thank you!"  
  
Harry could smell the apple scent in her hair, and he returned the hug happily. "I'm glad you like them."  
  
Ginny nodded. She didn't seem to know what to say.  
  
"Want to go for a walk?" Harry suggested. "A…real walk, I mean."  
  
Ginny smiled. "I'd love that."  
  
Harry stood up and held his hand out to her, and pulled her to her feet. She laughed and stumbled a bit only keeping her footing because Harry had a hold of her hand.  
  
When they started walking toward the portrait hole, he dropped her hand, blushing still.  
  
But, as he was about to open the portrait, a small hand slipped into his own, and squeezed gently.  
  
Harry smiled shyly at Ginny.  
  
  
  
The End  
  
  
  
Author's Note/Disclaimer: The comment about being 110 flavors of butterbeer was intended as a referance to Princess of Venus and Magoo's list of butterbeer flavors on Gryffindor Tower. I simply borrowed. I hope they'll add Strawberry Cordial to the list. The joke that Ginny played on Ron belongs to me. I did same thing to Jilly at a slumber party, and her reaction was about the same. I can't quote her exactly, because she was shouting at me and I was laughing too hard. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart belongs to himself. The quote at the beginning is from a Christmas song. I'm pretty sure it's called "Merry Christmas, Baby."  
  
Editor's Note: That isn't exactly what happened at that slumber party! She was actually using a ballpoint pen!!! For those of you that haven't spoken to Caitie and I, this particular Ginny personality is very similar to us both. In fact, Caitie gave me a fish for Christmas once. (She named it, jokingly, after the band director.) Fish make excellent presents; people are honestly surprised when they receive them! You have all now experienced a glimpse in our lives…;) 


End file.
